2019 NBA Trade Deadline: 10 teams that should trade for Anthony Davis

1. Los Angeles Lakers

According to ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Los Angeles Lakers will be pushing hard for an Anthony Davis trade before Feb. 7, and for good reason: Not only have they gone 6-10 with LeBron James sidelined, but the progress of their youngsters has stalled and the Celtics can’t join the fray until the offseason.

For all of these reasons, the Lakers have extra incentive to throw out a Godfather offer — the exact type the Pelicans need to make a move before the deadline and the Lakers might need to make the playoffs. The question is what kind of offer would tickle NOLA’s fancy.

For starters, the Lakers could go with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope‘s expiring deal, point guard Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and a first round pick. It’s a heavy price to pay, but with so many of those youngsters underwhelming this season, this is the kind of package it’d take.

Ball is a poor shooter, posting .406/.329/.417 splits this year, but he’s a terrific playmaker, a stout defender and a 21-year-old with considerable upside as a future triple-double threat.

Ingram’s progress has notably stalled, but he’s not a bad player, averaging 16.6 points and 4.9 rebounds per game on 47.5 percent shooting. His 3-point shooting has dipped considerably to 30.9 percent, but he’s still got two-way potential. He may be underwhelming second overall draft pick, but people forget he’s still only 21 years old.

KCP would offer wing defense and 3-point shooting for a few months before hitting the open market, while Hart is a more legitimate 3-and-D option with plenty of room to grow at 23 years old. As for the first-rounder, the Lakers’ pick in 2019, while the team is still not a top threat in the West, might provide the most value over the next few years.

If that’s not good enough, perhaps the Pelicans could squeeze Kyle Kuzma and/or Ivica Zubac out of Magic Johnson‘s hands, with Darius Miller heading back to L.A. to match salaries:

Zubac has come to life over the last five games, posting a whopping 19.0 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game over that span. Kuzma has been one of the few Lakers to step up in LeBron’s absence, and though he can’t do much outside of score and rebound, at least the Pelicans would know what they’re getting out of one of Los Angeles’ younger players.

With either one of these deals, the Pelicans would be getting a franchise point guard, 1-2 quality wings with room to grow and either Zubac or a first round pick. That’s a nice young package to rebuild around, but also a flawed one.

The Pelicans could just wait until the summer, when the draft order is determined and the Lakers, Celtics, Knicks and other suitors try to outbid each other. More than likely, Los Angeles’ February package will still be available in July, only by then, everyone will have a clearer idea of what Ball, Ingram, Hart, Kuzma and Zubac might become.

This kind of rushed deal makes sense for the Lakers before the value of those young players continues to depreciate, and Los Angeles feels like AD’s ultimate destination to form a championship partnership with LeBron James, but whether it happens before the deadline remains to be seen.